Shades of Grey
by vickyann
Summary: Trance and Harper rescue a young girl but will her secret endanger the whole crew?*Now complete*
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: The characters do not belong to me, nor am I making any money from this story.  
  
Please R+R, I LOVE FEEDBACK (good and bad).  
  
Shades of Grey  
  
The musty smell of the planet was overpowering. Trance-the only colourful thing around-held her breath as Harper, the ultra brain super genius mechanic and she made their way through another back street.  
  
'Harper, are you sure this is the right way?'  
  
'Of course, how could I Seamus Zelazny Harper get us lost?' Harper proudly proclaimed.  
  
'It's just I think we've been down here before, I'm sure I remember seeing that tree earlier.'  
  
'Trance, all the trees look the same here-brown, shrivelled and dying, pretty much like the whole planet,' Trance looked sadly at the lone tree surrounded by grey buildings towering above it. 'The rendezvous point is right around..'  
  
'Harper hide.' Trance squeaked before Harper could finish his sentence.  
  
'What? Why?' Harper said confused, but Trance didn't answer she pushed him behind a pile of oil drums and trash, as a group of three Nietzscheans stepped out into the street.  
  
'Oh.' Harper whispered.  
  
They stopped inches from their hiding place, in the mist of them, struggling with all her strength was a young girl. They threw her down and circled around her, half sneering, half laughing at her crumpled form.  
  
'Now to make an example of you.' the leader of the trio said as he bent down grabbing the girl's hair and pressing his bone blades into her throat.  
  
'No.' Trance shouted causing the Nietzschean to lose his grip; she jumped up revealing herself and Harper and in that split second the girl scrambled to her feet and fled as fast as her legs would carry her.  
  
'Run.' Harper yelled at Trance as the Nietzscheans advanced on them. They turned and sped back down the alley way not pausing to look behind until they had reached the Eureka Maru.  
  
'We have to find her.' Trance said as they entered the cock pit.  
  
'What?' Harper said confused. 'Trance, we have to get out of here, those Nietzscheans could be right on our tail, and I really don't want to end up as a Nietzschean toy.'  
  
'They went after the girl, Harper we can't just leave her.'  
  
'Sure we can, we take off now leave this ball of dying rock to whoever calls it home and get back to our nice cosy beautiful ship.' But Trance was already heading for the airlock. 'Trance, Trance.' he called 'oh boy' he thought and followed her out.  
  
Something inside Trance was pulling her to the girl, she knew the danger she could be putting Harper and herself in but that didn't matter. Harper was only a few paces behind her when out of the corner of her eye she saw a movement off one of the side streets in the distance.  
  
'There.' At once they picked up their pace until they could make out a figure cowering in the shadows. Harper kept watch for any upcoming Nietzscheans while Trance carefully approached the girl. She was huddled up in a ball trying to shut the world out, the last thing Trance wanted to do was scare her even more.  
  
'Hello,' Trance whispered tentatively, the girl didn't move. 'We're here to help you.' still the girl remained silent.  
  
'Um Trance, we've got company.' Harper piped up as the three Nietzscheans came into view. 


	2. chapter 2

Thank you for your reviews.  
  
Chapter 2  
  
Trance took a step closer to the girl and held her hand out. 'It's ok we're friends.' Slowly the girl lifted her head, her eyes wild with fear; she shifted her gaze to the fast approaching Nietzscheans and grabbed Trance's hand. Harper helped her to her feet and they slid away as the impact of gun shots exploded around them.  
  
'We won't let them find you.' Trance promised as they reached the Maru once again. Harper ran straight for the bridge eager to escape the Nietzscheans who were hot on their tail.  
  
'Let's get out of here,' he said with a sense of urgency and pushed the engines to accelerate as fast as they would let him. Trance sat the girl down and noted how thin she looked; her clothes were ripped and covered in dirt. Her long mud plastered hair covered her face, Trance gently placed a hand on her arm but she withdrew it and sank further into the chair, pulling her knees to her chest. Without warning the ship rocked to the side almost causing Trance to lose her balance. 'Oh great,' whined Harper. 'Incoming Nietzscheans. Let's see if they're so confident around Rommie.' with that he fiddled with the controls pushing the engines even further, trying to out run them before they could damage the Maru even more, 'Beka will kill me' he thought.  
  
The Andromeda Ascendant drifted aimlessly in space, waiting for the parts Trance and Harper were collecting for her. Beka paced around the command deck.  
  
'I should have gone with them.' she whispered angrily to herself.  
  
'I'm sure they're big enough to look after themselves,' Dylan Hunt replied as he walked on deck. 'Even if they are a little late.' he added.  
  
'Dylan,' Rommie's sleek face appeared on the main screen. 'The Eureka Maru is requesting assistance; they're being pursued by a Nietzschean battle cruiser.'  
  
'What have they done?' Tyr said strolling in to join them.  
  
'Rommie open a comm channel. This is Captain Dylan Hunt of the Andromeda Ascendant break off your pursuit, please.' Tyr shook his head.  
  
'That'll never work.' He said looking at Dylan, then turning to the view screen he warned, 'this is Tyr Anasazi of Kodiak pride, break off your pursuit or we'll blow you out of space.' The view screen flickered to life and the image of a rather large muscular Nietzschean dominated the screen.  
  
'Tyr Anasazi,' he snarled. 'And Captain Hunt, that ship has something belonging to me and I want it back.'  
  
'Well, Mr?' Dylan started but the Nietzschean cut the comm link.  
  
'Dragons.' Tyr muttered.  
  
'Their ship is retreating,' Beka reported then added, 'for now.' They looked at each other for a moment before heading towards the docking bay.  
  
'Mr Harper,' Dylan called as they greeted Trance, Harper and their guest leaving the Maru. 'Why did we just have to chase off some Nietzscheans and who is this?' he said spotting the girl.  
  
'Hey don't look at me, Trance here thought it'd be fun to.' Trance stepped in front of him.  
  
'Dylan I know how much you like helping people and I just couldn't leave her to those nasty Nietzscheans. They were going to kill her, we had to stop them.'  
  
'Whoa Trance, do you mean to say that the two of you fought a group of Nietzscheans and won?' Beka said astounded.  
  
'Well not exactly boss, we kinda distracted them and ran.' Harper replied.  
  
'They said you had something of theirs, care to enlighten me?' Dylan asked. Trance and Harper looked at each other. The girl who had been hiding behind Trance lifted her head and spoke.  
  
'They want me.'  
  
'Why?' but before she could answer, Trance felt the hands on her shoulders slip. She turned to catch the falling girl, and lowered her to the floor.  
  
'Rommie, prepare the med deck.' Dylan ordered.  
  
'Yes Dylan.' came the reply over the intercom. Dylan picked the girl up and hurriedly made his way towards med deck. Harper took a step to follow them but Beka placed a hand on his chest.  
  
'No,' she said. 'You fix my ship and if I see any evidence that you got my ship fired upon, you'll be cleaning it out for a year.'  
  
'Yes boss.' He said meekly, knowing she wouldn't really make him do that, would she?  
  
The girl lay on a bed while Trance scuttled around running tests. 'She must be about seventeen' Dylan thought 'but she looks like a child'. Beka stood at the foot of the bed cautiously watching over the girl.  
  
'She fainted from dehydration, malnutrition and exhaustion.' Trance announced.  
  
'Classic signs of living on a planet over run with Nietzscheans.' Beka said.  
  
'Oh.' Exclaimed Trance, who was looking at a flexi.  
  
'What?' asked Dylan. She handed him the Flexi, shocked he passed it too Beka. Trance lifted up one of the girl's arms; it was badly cut down one side.  
  
Confused Dylan said 'She's a Nietzschean.' 


	3. chapter 3

Chapter 3  
  
'She's a Nietzschean,' Beka was as shocked as Dylan. 'How is that possible?'  
  
'Actually she's only half Nietzschean,' Trance said. 'And half human.'  
  
'No wonder the Nietzscheans were trying to kill her. But why now, why not when she was born? Inter-species breeding is unthinkable for them, just ask Tyr.' Beka couldn't resist saying the last statement and just as she did Tyr strolled in took one look at the sleeping girl and stormed back out. 'Oops maybe I shouldn't have said that.' she added.  
  
'Tyr,' Dylan shouted as he followed him down the corridor. 'What the hell was that about?' Tyr stopped and spun round, his face inches from Dylan's.  
  
'If you have any sense, you'll send that girl back to where you found her.'  
  
'What why?' Dylan was even more confused.  
  
'That girl is Shara Kinsela of Drago Kazov pride; her family will not stop until they get her back. Why put yourself and your ship at risk for a teenager.'  
  
'Actually Tyr, she's only half Nietzschean.' Tyr tilted his head.  
  
'That is not possible.' he said.  
  
'See for yourself.' he said handing Tyr the flexi.  
  
'Interesting.' he stated.  
  
'I'm assuming the Drago Kazov won't want this becoming public knowledge.'  
  
'You assume correctly. I doubt even the girl's family would want the rest of the pride to find out, especially not a family in their position. What do you propose to do Captain?' Tyr asked.  
  
'That is something I have to figure out.' and he walked away leaving Tyr to ponder over how the Dragons could have contaminated their gene pool in such a way.  
  
Shara's eyes flickered open, Trance sat next to her. She had been hovering around med deck not wanting to leave the girl alone.  
  
'Rommie, inform Dylan Shara is awake.' Trance whispered to the ship, and then looking at the girl said, 'Hi I'm Trance, you're on board the Andromeda. Do you remember what happened?' Shara nodded slowly, her gaze wondering around her surroundings. The doors slid open and Dylan walked in closely followed by Beka. 'Shara, this is Captain Dylan hunt and Beka Valentine.' She looked confused like she wasn't sure whether to be scared or relived. 'It's ok; we're all here to help.' Trance said reassuringly but Shara did not look convinced.  
  
'No.' she whispered. Dylan stepped up closer to her.  
  
'It's ok, no one here is going to hurt you.' he said seeing the rising panic growing inside the girl.  
  
'I have to go.' she said with her head tilted down still whispering.  
  
'Go where?' Dylan asked.  
  
'I'm sorry,' she said. 'I can't stay here and you can't either, I'll.' she didn't get to finish, Rommie's holographic form appeared in between them.  
  
'Dylan, 5 Nietzschean ships just appeared from behind the planet, they're Powering weapons.'  
  
'Dylan did not hesitate, 'Tyr, Harper report to command. Trance stay here.' He turned to run to the bridge along side Beka; without warning the ship rocked violently sending the three standing sprawling on the floor. They started to pick themselves up when a wave of bright light spread over the ship; pain pierced through his head and body and he saw Beka fall to the deck before the blackness consumed him as well. 


	4. chapter 4

Chapter 4  
  
Shara watched in horror as Dylan and Beka sank to the floor, 'No!' her mind screamed.  
  
'Dylan, Beka!' Trance shouted. Shara was astounded the light had not hurt her new friend, then was shocked she had called someone her friend. 'Rommie what happened.' Trance asked the ship as she went to help her crew mates.  
  
'The Nietzscheans fired an energy weapon; Harper was affected as well he's unconscious but stable. Trance the Nietzscheans are trying to board, I won't be able to hold them off for long, the energy beam disrupted most of my systems, automated defence systems are offline. You have to wake Dylan up.'  
  
Shara's mind was reeling, she had to get out. Trance was bending over Dylan giving him something in an injection, she had to move now, it was only a matter of time before they found her. She knew her fate.  
  
Dylan groaned as Pain streaked down his temples, his eyes focused on a gold face peering down at him. 'Trance, what happened?' and then seeing Beka's crumpled form added, 'Beka?'  
  
'She'll be ok, the Nietzscheans attacked us with some energy weapon, every one was hurt including Rommie so she can't stop them from breaking into Andromeda and we have to do something.' she paused to take a breath.  
  
'But you weren't hurt,' she shook her head. He opened his mouth to speak again but decided it was futile; Trance would never share her secret. Beka groaned and Dylan saw her try to move. 'Easy,' he said moving over to her; she rubbed the side of head and ignored Dylan's hand when he offered to help her up.  
  
'I really hate those Nietzscheans.' she said angrily.  
  
'Uh-oh.' Trance whispered.  
  
'What?' Beka and Dylan said at the same time.  
  
'Shara's gone.' came her reply.  
  
Shara didn't know where to run; this ship was unlike any she had been on before. It was the first ship she hadn't been forced on or had to stow away on. These people were different; they cared even though they did not know her. 'They must know what I am, but yet they still want to help. If only they knew the truth' she thought as she shook her head sadly. Lost in her thoughts she had slowed her pace and for a minute had forgotten what she was running from. Quickly she checked herself but it was too late, she ran two steps round a corner and smacked into the person who hated her the most, her brother.  
  
'Well,' he said. 'Trying to run again?' 


	5. chapter 5

Chapter 5  
  
She couldn't speak; her voice had been wrenched from her. Her body was frozen, even her mind numbed to the person standing before her. 'Her brother' or rather half brother, from the moment he had found out what she was he had vowed to destroy her, to keep the family's lineage pure. It had been a year since the truth was told, the blood test proved it and her mother could no longer hide it; Shara's father was Human. Then Shara had found him. He had lived nearby her whole life on Kendora. Her pride had occupied the planet for a century and since she could remember, she had had this feeling that she wasn't supposed to be there. She was a dreamer and lacked the strength and will of the other children in the pride. She hadn't been able to believe the truth at first but now staring at the hatred in the eyes of someone she used to care for; she believed it all too well.  
  
'Where are they?' he demanded. Shara just stared at him. Grabbing her shoulder and yanking her closer to him, not caring if he hurt her. 'I said where are they?' He raised his hand preparing to strike her as she shut her eyes tight bracing herself for the pain. Instead she felt his grip slacken and a sicken thud assaulted her ears. Not sure what to do she slowly opened her eyes to see her brother unconscious on the deck and a large man with dreadlocks staring down at her.  
  
'Come now.' he ordered and starting walking away. She hesitantly took a step forward before seeing the bone blades. Sensing the girl's apprehension Tyr turned back to her. 'Listen you can either stay here and wait till he wakes up,' he kicked the limp body. 'Or you can come with me, find Dylan and get the hell out of here. Now which is it?'  
  
Shara looked astounded. 'You're part of Captain Hunt's crew?' she asked.  
  
'In a manner of speaking.' he replied.  
  
'Ouch!' Harper exclaimed as Trance, Dylan and Beka stood over him, trying to wake him up. He rubbed his head as his eyes began to focus. 'Boss?'  
  
'Yeah Harper.' Beka said helping her friend up. They had found him outside the command deck, unconscious from the Nietzschean weapon.  
  
'Oh man, why do we always end up on the receiving end of some Nietzschean argument? Is it too much to ask of them to leave us out for once.' Harper complained.  
  
'I agree little man.' Tyr said appearing behind them, with Shara a few paces away.  
  
'Shara.' Trance said half glad and half surprised to see her.  
  
Dylan turned to face her. 'Mind telling us why there are Nietzscheans aboard my ship and why they are trying to kill us?' Nervously Shara started to open her mouth unsure if she should tell them everything. These people were helping her now but what about later? Would they just dump her on some back world planet? 'If you don't tell us, I'll throw you back to Nietzscheans headed this way.' Dylan's voice cut through her thoughts.  
  
'They want you're ship.' she said quickly.  
  
'What?' Dylan did not sound too pleased.  
  
'They said if I helped capture your ship, they would at least let me live.' She saw the feeling of betrayal creep into their eyes and quickly added, 'but I did not want too, that's what we were fighting about when Trance and Harper found me. I am so sorry.' She could feel the tears welling up again.  
  
'Dylan,' Rommie flickered into existence next to him. 'Six Nietzscheans are approaching your position.'  
  
Dylan acted quickly. 'Trance, take Shara somewhere safe.'  
  
Trance grabbed the girl's arm and pulled her towards an access tunnel, while Dylan, Beka, Tyr and Harper drew their weapons.  
  
'Ready?' Dylan asked them and was answered with nodding heads and a determined look in each of their eyes. Tyr moved to join Dylan beside the command deck's door and Beka and Harper ducked down covering themselves further away. The first shot echoed as it hit the outside of the door and the four officers held their breath as they waited, poised to begin the fight. 


	6. chapter 6

Chapter 6  
  
Six shots rang out at a time; sparks and smoke filling the corridor as they hit the door with precise accuracy. Jare smiled in anticipation. 'Soon,' he thought 'this ship will be mine and that so called sister will no longer curse my family name.' His teeth bore through his smile, he was going to enjoy this. With one final blast the doors gave in and exploded. He quickly covered his head and let three of his crew step into the smoke; he knew someone like Captain Hunt would not give up his ship without a battle. His two remaining crew members covered his back, he was not going to under estimate this ship; he had heard too many stories.  
Red lights streaked out infront of his men, the fire from Hunt's crew missed but not by much. The three front Nietzscheans tried to dodge the weapons, while he quickly took stock of what lay before him.  
Dylan and Tyr had shot first as the door was burst open and Beka and Harper followed suit aiming their force lances at the offending aliens. Within seconds the first two fell to the ground; Dylan and Tyr fired simultaneously and brought the third to his demise. The smoke from the Nietzschean weapons was stinging their eyes and beginning to coke them. Backing away slightly Dylan saw a blur of movement and fired but it disappeared again leaving him wondering if he had imagined it.  
Beka launched herself forward on noticing one of the fallen Nietzscheans stir. He jumped to his feet ready to attack again, when something hit him on the back of his head and he fell down again, face first. Dylan turned and nodded at Beka who stood at the Nietzschean's feet. The fight had moved further into the command deck, there was no way Captain Dylan Hunt was going to let anyone take over his ship.  
Harper, who up to now had been firing as best he could; helping to take out the Nietzscheans, barrelled forward towards Tyr.  
  
'Tyr, look out.' he yelled as the fifth Nietzschean aimed his weapon. Tyr spun round using faster than human reflexes and basted the enemy with his force lance. He went down in a shower of red sparks. Tyr had, had enough of simply stunning them, he was ready to end this fight. The last Nietzschean tried to back out, he wasn't prepared to die but Tyr stood in his way and with a snarl on his face shot him to the ground. Dylan, Beka and Harper stood around Tyr slightly stunned by his actions but not saying anything.  
  
'Rommie, I thought you said there was six Nietzscheans.' Dylan said noting the five bodies strewn around the deck.  
  
'They are,' Rommie's avatar said joining them on deck, after she had managed to fix the damage done by the energy weapon. 'One is heading towards Ops deck, where Trance and Shara are.'  
  
The five crew members stared at each other, how had they let him past? A plan started to form in Dylan's mind. 


	7. chapter 7

Chapter 7  
  
Trance pushed Shara through the many tunnels of Andromeda, she couldn't fight like the others but she sure could hide better than any of them. Shara was scared, Trance could tell even though the girl was disguising it well. Everything was moving so fast. She guided them to the Ops deck, and then changed her mind, she could smell the danger.  
  
'Shara, we have to leave here.' Trance warned her.  
  
'No,' she turned to look Trance in the eye. 'I'm tired of running. You and everyone on this ship have tried to protect me without evening knowing me and all I do is run away. Well not any more.'  
  
'So you've finally found your voice,' she spun round, Jare stood in the doorway. 'I always thought you had a pretty voice, shame, you won't be able to use it for much longer.'  
  
'You won't hurt her.' Trance said stepping between the two.  
  
Jare laughed. 'What, my darling sister has a friend?'  
  
'Yes and I won't let you touch her.'  
  
'And how would you be able to stop me?' he took a step closer and glared down on Trance. She stood her ground, unblinking.  
  
'You can't kill me.' She said simply.  
  
Again Jare laughed. 'Oh really?'  
  
'Trance,' Shara shouted and pulled her out of the way, standing up to Jare she said. 'Kill me, I don't care.'  
  
'But I do,' Shara was shocked to see Dylan standing behind Jare aiming his force lance directly at him. 'And I think a lot of other people would as well, if you give them a chance.'  
  
Jare straightened himself up. 'Captain Hunt, I thought you'd be dead by now.'  
  
'Well you thought wrong. The rest of your crew on the other hand.' Dylan shrugged his shoulders.  
  
'I never expected them to survive. What about your crew Captain Hunt? I take it they didn't make it.'  
  
'Wrong again.' said Rommie stepping out from the shadows.  
  
'Well I'm still alive and kicking.' Beka said moving towards them.  
  
'Me too.' Tyr added.  
  
'Me three.' Harper said a little too excitedly. Trance pushed Shara back as they formed a circle round Jare.  
  
'So, what happens now?' Dylan asked Jare. 'You've tried to take over my ship; you've tried to kill us all, what do you Shara?'  
  
'She can't do anything.' Jare spat.  
  
'On the contrary, she only has to say the word and we will blast you into space.' Tyr answered back.  
  
Jare stared at Shara. 'She doesn't have the guts.' He stalked over to her and she raised her head to him. He stroked her face gently but she didn't flinch. The anger was building up inside her.  
  
'I've run from you,' she stammered. 'Been scared of you but you're scared of me, of what I will do to your name.' she laughed in his face. 'Don't worry nobody will find out.' Before anyone could react she grabbed the gun from Beka's holster and fired blank range into his chest. He fell backwards; his face contorted with shock and never felt himself hit the deck. The shocked expression was mirrored on each of the Andromeda crew, they were stunned to silence. Shara dropped to her knees, tears brimming in her eyes. 'I had to do it.' She whispered.  
  
Trance laid a hand on her shoulder. 'We know.' She said.  
  
Dylan knelt beside her. 'I'm sorry.' He said offering his hand to help her up. She took it and looked up at him.  
  
'Why? He would have killed you.'  
  
'He was still your brother.' He answered.  
  
Standing, she said firmly. 'No, no he wasn't.' Tiredness swept over her.  
  
'Why don't you get some rest and then you can decide what you want to do.' Trance said.  
  
'I'm going to stay with my father.' She said before she closed her eyes. Dylan picked her up and she drifted into a peaceful sleep. The crew of the Andromeda smiled silently as they carried the young girl out, knowing she was safe for now.  
  
*The end!*  
  
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